Nightmares
by Criminally Disturbed
Summary: Near had a nightmare and goes to Mello for comfort. Fluff slight yaoi. DISCLAIMER : I do not own Death Note


With a gasp Near shot up in bed, heart pounding

"It was just…a dream," he muttered as he took in his surroundings.

"Justadreamjustadreamjustadream." He chanted to himself as terror washed over him as the visions from the nightmare came back to him. Mello had… he had died. Because of Near. Nears hand brushed against his cheek and came away wet he had been…crying? Thunder boomed outside and Near trembled slightly. It was freezing! The AC at Wammy's had been messed up lately. One minute they were sweltering the next they were freezing. He pulled his blanket tighter around him as if to ward off things that hid in the dark. Suddenly a terrifying thought struck him. What if Mello really was dead? Near knew it was ridiculous but still the thought remained. Flitting around the darker corners of his mind. Near had to see for himself. He looked over at his many stuffed animals and carefully selected the softest one. Hugging it tightly to his chest Near slipped out of bed and padded over to the door of his room. He stuck his head out the door making sure no one was about. How could they have been? It was past midnight and everyone was asleep. The door to Mello's room was only 10 feet away but to Near it could have been 10 miles in the suffocating darkness. He ghosted out of his room and padded down the hall, shaking with cold and fear at what horrors could be lurking around him. Lightning flashed casting eerie shadows in front of him. Near froze. What if something horrible was waiting for him at the door to Mello's room? But try as he might Near could not dismiss the thought. A roar of thunder boomed outside snapping Near out of his thoughts and causing him to yelp in fright. He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth not wanting anyone to hear him. Near hurried on and finally reached the door to Mello's room, opened it and slipped inside. What Near didn't know was that Mello was only half asleep, the storm having kept him awake. Mello was surprised to hear his door open and sat up peering through the gloom trying to make out who it was. Near still had his back turned to Mello as he was closing the door. He turned around and gave a tiny yelp of shock seeing Mello sitting up and facing him.

"Near…. what do you want?" Mello grumbled. Near looked down at his socked feet suddenly feeling very foolish

"I-I had a nightmare…" Mello was no stranger to nightmares himself but that didn't stop him from enjoying his solitary victory over the smaller boy.

" Come on Near, you're not 5 for Pete's sake!"

"I know! But… I was… scared…" this last word was said so quietly Mello could barely hear it. Mello decided that Near had had enough. In the occasional flash of lightning Mello could clearly see the silver tracks of tears running down Near's face, and even though it was almost pitch black in the room it was easy to see how much Near was trembling. Mello knew it had to have been something bad to have shaken Near this much.

"All right." Mello said a little bit more gently

"Do you want to come in bed with me?" Near hesitated for an instant then nodded. As he came closer Mello took notice of the stuffed animal Near clutched tightly

"Really Near?" Mello taunted

"A stuffed animal, what are you, 3?" Near said nothing, only carefully set the stuffed animal down on Mello's bedside table, and climbed into bed next to Mello. A quiet sob escaped Near's lips but it was stifled as quickly as it came out. Mello wrapped his arms around Near and stroked his hair, murmuring soothing words of comfort in his ear

" Shh…shh…it's all right…. you're okay…shh…I'm here…" Near stiffened then relaxed into Mello's arms and cried as every horrific detail from the nightmare came back to him. They lay this way for a while until Mello finally broke the silence by quietly asking

"You want to talk about it?"

"Yeah…" Near began

"I was running down a hallway and I came to a room, I looked inside and it was…you but, you were dead and it was my fault. I backed away and slipped on your blood, I fell but the floor melted away and I was falling through darkness and suddenly I stopped but I was alone and there was no light, or sound, or anything! And then something was chasing me, something horrible but I couldn't run something was dragging me down into the ground and I was about to drown when, I woke up." Mello pulled Near into a hug and allowed Near to cuddle up against him.

" Near, there is absolutely no way that you could get rid of me that easily, I'll be around forever."

"P-promise?" Near asked quietly

"Yeah." Mello promised. Near nuzzled his head into the curve of Mello's neck then buried his face in Mello's shirt inhaling the sweet chocolate-y scent that was Mello.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" Near asked pleadingly, Mello smiled gently at him

"Sure." Near snaked his arms around Mello's back, clinging to Mello like a lifeline and finally rested his head on Mello's chest. Near felt sleep creeping up on him but he fought it off, not wanting to surrender to the nightmares again. Mello noticed the albino's eyes drooping and traced his finger along Near's now dry, cheek.

"It's alright, you can go to sleep, I'll keep the nightmares away." Near nodded sleepily, stretched up a little so his lips were by Mello's ear and whispered something. Near sank back on to Mello with a contented sigh and quickly fell asleep, feeling perfectly safe for the first time since he had arrived at the orphanage, one snowy night, many years ago.

"N-Near?" Mello muttered, wanting to ask the boy if he had meant what he said. Mello soon realized Near was sound asleep. Mello toyed with Near's silk- like milky white hair, winding strands around his fingers and inhaling the sweet smell of Near's hair that for some reason reminded him of strawberries. Mello pressed his lips against Near's forehead, careful not to wake him. Mello felt his own eyelids start to close and didn't resist as sleep washed over him, Near's words still in his ears

"I love you."


End file.
